Israel’s Revolutionary UAV Lifts Off and Lands Like Helicopter

Israeli Aircraft (IAI) has come up with a revolutionary “Panther” UAV that lifts off and lands like a helicopter and without needing a runway.

Contact Editor

, 04/10/10 20:12

Panther UAV takes off like helicopterf

Israel news photo: IAI

Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) will unveil on Tuesday a revolutionary made-in-Israel UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) that can lift off and land like a helicopter and which does not require a runway.

The new “Panther” UAV and Mini-Panther UAVs will be operational next year, according to the Defense-Update website.

The Panther has the flight capabilities of a fixed-wing airplane and uses a new tilt-rotor propeller concept to allow vertical takeoff and landing, making it practical for use by land forces in battlefields where there is not runway.

The new UAV weighs about 145 pounds (about 65 kilograms).and has three electrical motors that allow it to remain in the air up to six hours at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The smaller mini-Panther can stay airborne up to two hours. The UAVs come with a flight control system that allows for take off and landing via an operator console on the ground, eliminating the need for an external pilot.

The Panther will be unveiled Tuesday at the Latrun Conference, midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and already has passed operational tests.